A top White House aide is stepping down following allegations of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives. The White House press secretary read part of staff secretary Rob Porter's statement, in which he claims the allegations are "simply false." (Feb. 7)
AP

White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter resigned after his two ex-wives accused him of beating them while they were married. The Daily Mail and The Intercept both reported on the accusations.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

Following White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter's resignation, questions loom about his ex-wives' allegations of physical and mental abuse and his political career.

Though Porter's last day with the administration was on Wednesday (a new staff secretary will be named soon), here's what we still want to know:

Did domestic abuse come up in the FBI background check?

In order to work for the administration, he had to undergo an FBI background check.

"Consistent with the practice of past administrations, issues related to an individual's suitability are reviewed through a thorough and lengthy background check process," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. "Background checks involve a complex investigation run by intelligence and law enforcement agencies."

According to White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, the investigation into Shah's background was ongoing. His resignation took place before it could be completed.

"I'm not going to get into the specifics of the investigation itself," Shah said.

Did the allegations affect his security clearance?

The ongoing investigation into his background had delayed Porter from receiving a full security clearance, the White House said.

Shah said Porter instead was working with an interim clearance, which allowed him access to certain classified national security information.

As staff secretary, Porter was responsible for the flow of presidential paperwork around the West Wing and to the president's desk. He would have ensured executive orders, decision memos, bills, nominations and other actions were thoroughly vetted before reaching the president.

In this role, Porter is essentially a gatekeeper for the Oval Office with direct access to Trump. He traveled with the president and was among the highest-paid aides in the White House. After John Kelly became chief of staff last summer, Kelly reportedly came to view Porter as a right-hand man.

Who knew about the allegations?

Porter's first wife, Colbie Holderness, reportedly told the FBI about her their marriage and shared photos of injuries she received while married to Porter.

And last year, one of Porter's wives, Jennifer Willoughby, wrote about her abusive marriage. She never mentions Porter by name.

"When I tried to get help, I was counseled to consider carefully how what I said might affect his career," she wrote. "And so I kept my mouth shut and stayed."

Given that Porter's service as the staff secretary started on Trump's first day in office, his inability to get a full clearance because of the allegations likely would have been flagged early on.

On Wednesday, Kelly initially defended Porter, saying he was a “man of true integrity and honor.”

Later, he said he was “shocked” by the allegations against Porter, but stood by his previous comments.

“There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” he said. “I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”

Shah insisted on Thursday that Kelly and Trump did not become aware of the allegations against Porter until stories about the spousal abuse surfaced this week.